


Broken Hearted Curse

by Luna_Roe



Series: A Witcher and a Druid [4]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Jealousy, Love, curse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:00:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22279807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luna_Roe/pseuds/Luna_Roe
Summary: Our two reluctant lovebirds begin to learn more of each other. And, as winter begins to roll in, a dear friend requires their help.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Original Female Character(s), Vesemir (The Witcher)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: A Witcher and a Druid [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1600168
Comments: 8
Kudos: 66
Collections: Interesting Character and/or Interesting Relationship Development





	Broken Hearted Curse

**Author's Note:**

> And, here I am again! This is probably one of my favorite parts of this story. So I truly, truly hope you guys like it!

_Roadside Camp: Nine Days Later_

We made camp for another night. And, for another night we were sitting in silence watching the fire. The road was taking its toll on me. Dark bags under my eyes told me that much. The weight behind my eyes was another sign. The fire crackled a bit, catching my attention. The flames were a welcomed distraction from the overwhelming silence and Geralt’s intense stare.

The past nine days we had spent in silence, mostly. There had been countless times both of us attempted to bring up what was going on between us. The confession he had been about to make over a month ago. But, each time, we would get tongue tied and ended up just staying silent.

I saw him move, standing and closing the gap between us, but did nothing. I just sat there, staring into the fire. Geralt knelt next to me, his eyes showing concern behind the stoic mask. His hands, the very ones that had sent me to such ecstasy, gently took my own in their hold. That’s when I realized the palms of my hands were raw from the reins. Wincing at his touch, I allowed him to begin tending my wounds.

His eyes, still holding concern, looked to my hands as he went to work, “Not used to riding like this, are you?”

My gaze was now on the man so tenderly seeing to my wounds. His calloused fingers managed to work the bandage gently in place. He was an oxymoron: deadly, yet gentle. It was enough to become infatuated. It was easy, seeing this side of the Witcher, to understand how so many women fall for him. It also reinforced how lucky I was that he chose to come back to me every time. When he finished and his eyes locked on mine, a single brow raised in wait of my answer, I conceded, “I stay in my village typically.”

He nodded, and then asked, “Anything else hurt from riding?” His fingers gently raking over my thighs.

The double-edged question was so laden with innuendos that I couldn’t help but roll my eyes and, using my hand on his face, mockingly shove him away from me, “You dirty old man. No, I am quite fine now, thank you.”

Playing along with my little show, he allowed himself to fall backwards – prone – and then said, “You wound me, madam. _Old_ man?”

Laying down next to him, allowing his arm to tuck me into his side, I replied, “You heard me. Now, let’s sleep. We have an early start tomorrow.”

~~

_Three Days Later  
Kaer Morhen_

The place, instead of being how how I remembered it, seemed to have been rebuilt some. And the scaffolding in areas let me know they were still making improvements and repairs. Something about seeing the infamous place be rebuilt was almost reassuring to me as we walked from the stables to the main living area. It was clearly a shared space, and a few people were there. None paid much mind to Geralt as he entered, but all turned when I entered. Instantly, I realized I was the only woman in the room, though I was only outnumbered by a matter of three.

“Who’s that?” One man asked, jabbing a thumb in my direction as he aimed the question at Geralt.

Before he could introduce me, or come to my defense in any way, I interjected, “Valaria.”

The man that had spoken smiled and moved to offer his hand to me. I braced internally for the pain, but set my injured hand in his, nonetheless. He took note instantly of the bandage and cupped his hand, so our palms did not touch, then he placed the faintest of kisses to my knuckles, “Valaria, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Eskel.”

I could sense two things. One: Eskel was flirting, **hard**. Two: Geralt was having absolutely none of it. A strong arm encircled my shoulders and then Geralt’s voice filled the room, “Since when did you become so accommodating?”

Eskel chuckled and said, “Since you brought a beautiful lady to Kaer Morhen.” He then, became sullen as he added, “But, it’s probably not the best timing.”

Geralt cocked a brow and asked, “Why?”

The only man yet to speak piped up and said, “Something’s going on with Vesemir.” Eskel immediately hissed at the man, causing him to become defensive and said, “What? Just ‘cause Geralt has a guest means we can’t speak openly?”

Geralt’s concern was evident in his voice, “What’s wrong with Vesemir?”

The look on the other two Witchers was worrying as Eskel finally relented, “He’s been losing track of time and where he is. He flies into these fits and he breaks things. Fever will spike high and then he gets a fit of the chills. He’s all over the map with symptoms and we can’t figure out what’s wrong.”

Geralt looks from Eskel to the other Witcher and asked, “Lamberth, when did it start?”

Lamberth answered that the incidents started about a week ago and had progressively gotten worse. “He’s gotten… violent.”

Geralt turned to me and I could see the worry in his eyes. I cut him off before he could say that I should try to make it back home before the snow and stated, “Sounds like you need a Druid.”

Knowing I wouldn’t relent, Geralt’s shoulders sagged and he began leading me to where the older Witcher was. Geralt ushered me from main room and up a set of stairs, the entire time his arm was around my shoulders. The entire climb up the stairs he held me to his side, and something told me it wasn’t his protectiveness over me. The way his hand gripped my shoulder, as if to ground him, told me he needed me close for comfort. He was most likely not even aware he was holding me still.

Eskel, following behind us, said, ““We all looked for answers but found nothing. Even called a doctor. Struck out there too.”

Geralt dropped his arm from around me and opened the door at the top of the stairs for me. He held his hand out, however, signaling me to not enter yet. I nodded and allowed him to enter first. A flash of gray dashed across my field of view and took Geralt to the wall opposite the door. Instantly, without even thinking, I acted, “Quiesco! Dormio!” Vesemir, who had pinned Geralt to the far wall with his forearm paused before he slashed his fellow Witcher with a dagger. Vesemir’s hand loosened the grip on the weapon, sending it clattering to the floor, and then the rest of his body followed.

Geralt easily caught his mentor and friend, taking him to the bed. Once the father-figure was safely on the bed, Geralt turned to me and said, “What was that? Think I couldn’t handle it?” He paused and added, “Thought you said you didn’t know magic.”

I shook my head, knowing he was kidding, and offered, “A few words do not make me a mage. It isn’t a sickness, Geralt. It’s a curse. Haphazard and all over the place, but still, he’s been cursed.”

“Weirdest curse I’ve seen.” He muttered as I began to look over the older man. He was battle worn, for sure. The more I examined, the more worried I became. Examining the magical residue that was all over him I could glean the curse hadn’t been intentional.

“It’s almost like… Geralt, this may sound… intrusive, but has Vesemir been seeing someone?” I asked as I got a cloth from the wash basin near the bed. The man was burning up and the damp rag would help sooth him, even if it would only be a brief respite.

The man shrugged, and said, “I’m not sure he’s one for that.” He thought on it for a moment and added, “More likely he had company for a night, maybe two.”

“Does he have a… regular?” I asked, not entirely sure how to put it.

Geralt chuckled low and rephrased my question, “Does he have a favorite whore? Probably.”

Instantly I scolded the Witcher, “Geralt!”

He smirked and said, “Not sure. Eskel?” When the Witcher in question had no answer Geralt said, “We’ll go ask Lamberth.” But instead of moving towards the door, he moved closer to me, “Come with me. I don’t want you alone with him.” His hands gently set on my hips, urging me to move with him.

“I’ll be fine. Besides, I need to wake Vesemir to ask his permission to examine him fully. And, I doubt you want to see him naked.” I said. The displeasure in Geralt’s face was amusing to say the least but still it was there. I added, as I gave him a light shove towards the door, “I’ll be fine. I’m not the one he got the jump on.” I could hear grumbling from him as he conceded and headed towards the stairs.

“Resipisco,” I whispered and braced for another violent outburst. When he opened his eyes, he wasn’t violent, he just seemed confused. I helped him sit up and said, “Vesemir, do you remember me?”

He blinked a couple times before he remembered, the light in his eyes shining, “Valaria? What are you doing here?” I hugged him back as his arms caught me in a massive bear hug. He then asked, “Wait… how did I get here? Last I remember….”

“Vesemir, I’m here to see if I can help.” I said, urging him to release me so I could sit up normally once more. When he released me, he seemed guarded, as if he was upset that anyone had fussed over him. “I have to ask you a personal question, Vesemir.”

He looked even more guarded as he nodded, clearly his curiosity overtook his guarded reaction. He sat himself up against the headboard and settled in for the question.

Inhaling and forcing my face to not blush, I said, “I need to know if you’ve been with anyone lately.” Instead of me blushing, it was the Witcher before me that turned tomato red. The most I got was a slight nod. I waited for him to explain but he didn’t. So, with a sigh, I ventured further, “Vesemir, from what I can tell, you’ve been cursed. Accidentally, but cursed, nonetheless. I need to find whoever did it to lift the curse and stop anymore accidental ones. So… who is she?”

He turned to look elsewhere and then, turning a crimson red now, said, “Her name’s Lily. She’s not some Strumpet.”

This caused me to sit straighter, “Vesemir, did you lead some poor girl on?” I was beginning to see how he had been accidentally cursed.

His head snapped back in my direction as he defended himself, “I was clear when we started. She knew what she was getting into.”

With shoulders sagged and my face in the palm of my hand, I grumbled out, “How old was this girl?”

I could _hear_ his eyes glare at me as he said, “Don’t like that accusation, Valaria.”

Pinching the bridge of my nose now and grumbling once more, I said, “I’m not accusing, Vesemir. I just need to know how old she is so I can discern what type of curse this is.” He didn’t answer and right around that point was when Geralt entered the room again… right as I said, “Vesemir, no woman knows what she’s getting herself into when she falls in with a Witcher.”

He defensively exclaimed, “She’s a lass, yes. But she was no child!” He calmed slightly and said, “Lily’s of age.”

Geralt was the one to speak, “So she’s what? Twenty?” He heaved a sigh and added, “Looking for an ego boost, old man?”

Vesemir grumbled out, “Twenty-six and watch your mouth.”

He chuckled, “No chance she knew the heartache that follows.” He pulled a chair up to sit next to us. And as he looked at me, he said, “We Witchers tend to leave trouble in our wake when it comes to women.”

“Vesemir, what happened?” I asked, slightly exacerbated at the situation. I watched the man inhale slow before he relinquished the information.

~~

_Later That Night_

The man had been an idiot. Lily – having grown bored of prospects her age – set her sights on an older man, not realizing just how much older Vesemir was than her. And then, she got attached thinking she was the **only** one. Then her brother, who owned the fucking brothel Vesemir had decided to spend a night at, let her know that Vesemir rented a room and bought companionship from no less than three of the women there. Vesemir, unbeknownst to him, shattered Lily’s heart.

After tending to some of Vesemir’s symptoms, mainly keeping the hot flashes at bay to save the man’s brain from melting, I headed to the room that had been readied for me. As I walked in, the room was far more elegant than I had anticipated. The room was of modest size but had gorgeous drapes everywhere, bearskin rugs and a fireplace with a few logs already alight. There was a tub with steam rising from it, clearly Geralt had thought ahead for me. The scent coming from the tub was heavenly Jasmine.

As the door shut, I began to stirp my dirty clothing from my body. I wanted nothing more than to soak in the perfumed water to remove the week of traveling grime off me. No sooner had I stepped in the tub than the door opened. So, there I was, standing naked in the tub and looking rather annoyed at the intruder. That is, until I noticed who the intruder was: Vesemir. And he seemed as if what he was seeing was not what was actually there. His eyes were glazed over with a hue of green.

“Lily, I’m sorry.” He said to me. So, he thought I was Lily… that probably wasn’t the best thing for me, considering I was naked….

Before I began dealing with the confused Witcher I whispered, “Auxilium.” My lips barely moved and the Witcher did not notice. Next, I grabbed the towel draped on the side of the tub to cover myself as I said, “Sorry for what, Vesemir?”

He stepped closer, cautiously as if I would explode at any minute, and said, “I hurt you. I didn’t mean to, Lily.” He continued to step closer to me and when he reached the tub, he slowly outturned his hands to me. “Lily, come here.” He really had no clue where he was.

I didn’t take his hands, instead I chose to keep them at the towel to keep myself covered. Had Geralt heard my call? Had anyone heard it? I didn’t want to hurt the old man. He didn’t know…

“Lily…” He said sadly before I saw anger flash across his face, “They meant nothing. You **know** that.” This time he wasn’t gentle, and he didn’t wait for me to take his hands. Instead, he forcefully grabbed my arms and yanked me to him. “You know that.” He growled out.

“Vesemir, you’re scaring me.” I said, hopefully I could calm him down. I just needed to play off his feelings for Lily. He cared about her, otherwise he wouldn’t have sounded so defeated when he told me the story earlier. He softened slightly, but the anger was still there. But, the softness passed nearly as quickly as it had arrived and the anger took over. The green haze turned black and I knew I was in trouble. 

His hand moved for my neck and his body lurched forward. In the second before he found his target, I attempted to force him away from me, “Proc-.” Before I could finish the spell, his hand was around my neck and my body sent into the water. The spell, unfinished, went flying at the wall. A magical force hit it and I was sure the wall now had a new window.

Vesemir’s strong arms held me under water. One hand crushing my throat, the other having managed to grasp both my wrists. I was helpless. No spells to cast, no way to defend myself. My only hope was that someone had heard my call or heard the wall explode.

His eyes were still blacked over. Though the water distorted my sight, I could still see his face. He was crying. As if… could he see what he was doing? Could he see but not stop? My vision began to fade, though I was attempting to preserve air for as long as possible. The lack of blood flow was going to do me in, however.

His hand loosened on my wrists, moved to my hip and gripped tight. That gave me the opportunity for one last ditch effort. I typically needed to speak to give my spells strength, but I could try one last time. Perhaps this time it would reach someone. I held my hand out and with the last of my breath I screamed out, “Auxilium!” It sounded odd, distorted by the water. But my concern instantly moved to the hot water that had filled my lungs when my body involuntarily attempted to take in a breath. If no one came to help, I was going to die in a matter of seconds.

Just as my eyes closed, right as I was accepting my fate, I felt Vesemir’s hold on me disappear. A new set of hands grabbed my body and pulled me from the water. Quickly my back was pressed against this newcomer and his arms wrapped around my torso. Fisting his hands together, I felt them over my stomach and then, faintly, a whispered, “I’m sorry.” The force with which the newcomer pushed into my stomach and up caused my body to heave so violently I felt the hot water burn on the way out. It vacated through my mouth and my nose, and though I wasn’t sure how, I swear it came out of my tear ducts as well.

Coughing and sputtering, I leaned back against my savior and managed to say, “That hurt.”

A chuckle rumbled through his chest, causing the sensation to rock us both, and then he said, “You’re welcome.” The voice, I could place it now. Eskel had come to my rescue. But, if Eskel was my savior that begged the question… who managed to break Vesemir’s hold on me? Before I could ask that, Eskel reassured me, “Calm down, Geralt’s got him.”

Eskel reached towards the bed and grabbed the fur blanket that was draped on the end of the bed for me. Helping me to my feet, considering my blood was still re-oxygenating, I asked, “Where did they go?”

Eskel looked towards the door and then back to me, “I’m sure he took him to his room. Let’s worry about you first. What happened?” He motioned for me to sit on the bed, but realized I wasn’t interested in talking. Without thought of the fact I was dressed in nothing but a fucking wolf pelt I paddled off for Geralt and Vesemir.

As I left my room, I heard Eskel mutter, “ _Or_ , we’ll tramps around the castle naked.”

As soon as I made it to the bottom of the stairs that led to Vesemir’s room I could hear the argument. I could hear both men yelling and then I heard a thud. One of them had hit something or, more likely, struck the other. I quickened my pace, Eskel hot on my heels. I could the man chasing me protest, begging me to stop before I burst into the room. Poor man, I had no interest in stopping. I had to stop Geralt from killing his friend.

Busting into the room, I saw Vesemir and Geralt locked in combat. When Geralt managed to free a fist and wound up to throw it I rushed in, “PAUSA!” And there, frozen in place, was Geralt’s fist, a mere inch from Vesemir’s nose.

Vesemir looked to me, eyes filled with horror, and managed to say, “Valaria… what have I done?” He seemed haunted, and I’m sure I was quite the sight. The bruises would have begun to form by now.

“You thought I was Lily.” I explained as I stepped closer. The spell would wear off soon and I wanted to get Vesemir clear of Geralt’s fist. So, one hand holding the pelt in place and the other offered to Vesemir, I ushered the man away from harm’s way and over to a chair.

The spell wore off right as the older Witcher sat down. Geralt’s paused swing resumed and sent him lurching forward. When he righted himself, he instantly turned to me, eyes scanning my injuries. Vesemir, despite his age, was as strong as ever. He shot his friend a glare, but I came to the man’s defense, “He didn’t have control of his actions, Geralt. You know that.”

He held his glare a moment longer and then conceded, “Yeah.”

I turned to Vesemir and said, “Where does Lily live? I need to speak with her. Now that I’ve seen this curse in action, I think I know what she did.”

Vesemir looked at me, not my eyes, but my throat, and asked in horror, “I did that?” His fingers timidly came to inspect the bruising skin but stopped just before they touched. He couldn’t bring himself to do it. I nodded, knowing he wouldn’t relent until I told him. That’s when he broke, “I thought it was a terrible dream. I thought….” But he just went silent.

“Tell me where Lily is, and I can break the curse.” I said, redirecting his anguish to the task at hand. I took hold of his hand when he didn’t answer and that seemed enough for him to relinquish the information. He told me exactly where to go and how to find her. When she ran from him after confronting him about the whores, Vesemir had her followed. The man he had follow her let him know where she went and who she was staying with. Since then, he had kept tabs on her, just in case.

Geralt helped his friend to his bed and as he rested his head on the pillow I smiled, kissed his temple, and whispered, “Dormio.” Within seconds, Vesemir was sound asleep. Geralt’s concerned eyes took in my neck and shoulders that were exposed. He was certainly wondering if anything else was bruised on me, and I knew he was kicking himself for leaving me alone.

We left the sleeping Witcher and headed for Geralt’s room, considering mine was a complete wreck now. He ushered me to sit on the edge of the bed and sit I did. I was beginning to lose the adrenaline rush that had pushed me onward after the attack. My body began to hurt, and I could feel the injuries. My throat was tight, and breathing was hard work. My hip was throbbing, and my wrists ached.

“Val,” Geralt’s voice nearly whispered, “Let me see.” He gently moved my hands away from the wolf pelt, allowing it to fall to the side. What was revealed was grim: hand shaped bruises everywhere. My hip had a deep purple bruise. Geralt noted how Vesemir’s thumb was the deepest part of the bruise, where he had dug in the digit. My neck and shoulders were not only bruised but scratched. And then there was the matter of my wrists. They ached, and it wasn’t until Geralt touched my right wrist that I realized it had been dislocated.

Inhaling sharply at the touch, I pulled the appendage away from him. He paused in his movements and just stared. I could tell he was still raging inside. I could tell he regretted asking my help. I could tell. “Stop that. This changes nothing.” I used my left hand to cup his face, “I told you I would help Vesemir, and I’m going to do just that.”

He didn’t nod, he didn’t say anything, he just stared into my eyes. I motioned to my dislocated wrist and he took hold of it masterfully. He instructed me to inhale and hold. I did just that, making sure to curl my tongue out of the way of my teeth, and when he instructed me to exhale, I felt the painful snap of my wrist going back into place. He got to work on wrapping it as he asked, “You said that Lily probably doesn’t even know she cursed him. But, what kind of accidental curse is that strong?”

“She’s a sorceress,” I said, “Or, will be once she can control her powers. Right now, I doubt she is even aware of them.” Geralt finished wrapping my wrist and moved to inspecting my thigh, seeing as my breathing wasn’t labored anymore. As he pressed lightly to check for tenderness, and more importantly anything that may have broken, I continued, “She probably said something like ‘if only you felt the way I did’ and bam, curse happened. I’m pretty sure Vesemir is stuck in the confusing state of a young woman feeling heartbreak for the first time. Only problem is, he’s a Witcher with strength far greater than Lily.”

Geralt, satisfied that my pelvis wasn’t broken or fractured, moved so he was eye level with me, hands gently resting on my waist, “You need to rest before we go find Lily. We’ll keep Vesemir in his room until you can speak with her, see about breaking the curse.”

I tried to protest, but Geralt stopped me with a kiss. As we parted lips he said, “Val, I thought I was too late. Please, just humor me.”

“Okay, I’ll rest.” I agreed. “But only if I can stay with you tonight.” I added my term.

He smirked and cocked an eyebrow at me. In that instant I realized that had been his plan. He scooped me up in his arms and walked around his bed and set me down in the bed properly and said, “Why do you think I took you to my room?” He situated my pillow, pulled the covers up for me, and then blew the candle next to the bed out.

“It’s too easy to fall in with you, Witcher.” I replied, nestling into the warmth of his bed.

~~

_The Next Day_

The sun beamed gently in through the window, waking me from a dead sleep. I hadn’t dreamed overnight, just closed my eyes and then woke to the sunrise. It was as if I had teleported through time. Soft breathing sounded to me, letting me know that I had a partner in the bed, Geralt’s bed.

The man next to me hummed as he stirred from his own sleep. His nose nuzzled into my hair as Geralt’s deep voice said, “I could get used to this.”

I giggled, “Get used to what?” I turned, slowly, on my side so I could look at him. I wanted to see his eyes when he replied.

His eyes held a warmth I only saw when we were alone. The smile that graced his features reached his eyes, showing how genuine it was, as he said, “Waking next to you. I’ve done so for over a week now.” He reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, “Gets better every time.”

My cheeks blushed; I knew it. How could they not at such an admission? Before I had to give some sort of reply, we heard a commotion in the hall. Someone was yelling for me. Instantly I jumped from the bed. The nearest item of clothing was Geralt’s shirt and so that’s what I grabbed on the way out. Immediately heading down the stairs I saw that Vesemir was in another rage, the familiar green haze over his eyes. Eskel went flying backwards, nearly three yards, right into Lamberth. The two went to the ground with a hard thud. The enraged man turned and saw me, clad only in a man’s shirt, and spoke, “Lily.” He looked confused as his eyes took in my form. “Whose shirt is that?”

I took a step back when he stepped forward. He still thought I was Lily, “Vesemir, I’m not Lily. I’m Valaria.”

He shook his head, eyes showing hurt, and asked, “Who, Lily? Who did you turn to? I know I hurt you, but… Lily….” His hands gestured to me, as if offering proof of betrayal to a jury.

I felt Geralt stand behind me, waiting for the moment he was needed. All the other Witchers were allowing me to try to talk it out with the man. Inhaling slowly, and keeping my voice even, I said, “Vesemir, it’s Valaria. Lily isn’t here. You’re at Kaer Morhen.”

He looked at Geralt and then to me, repeated the action a few times and landed his eyes back on me, “You went to _him_? You slept with _Geralt_?” He was beginning to get angry again. He got angry and yelled, “YOU WHORE!”

Fine, if being nice wasn’t going to work, I would be mean, “You’re one to talk!” I shot back. Causing everyone, Vesemir included, to be shocked. I continued as I stepped towards Vesemir, “You courted me. Brought me flowers and chocolates. You seduce me with honeyed words. You won my heart and then shattered it on the ground!” I made it to him, finally, and as our eyes locked, I ended my short performance with, “I was not the one who went to a brothel and paid three strumpets to fuck me.”

Vesemir’s eyes showed how deeply he hurt. They showed how deeply Lily – I – had hurt him. He opened his mouth to protest, but nothing came out. He simply shut his mouth again and stayed silent. I closed my eyes and sighed, collecting myself before uttering, “Dormio.”

The man almost instantly fell asleep. Eskel caught him and, with the help of Lamberth, which he had been flung into, took the mentor back to his room. I was left there with only Geralt as company. He walked up to me, gently wrapped his arms around me, and asked, “You okay?”

“The look in his eyes, Geralt.” I whispered, “He really fell for her.”

“I know.” Was his reply. Perhaps for the first time in his life, Vesemir had found love. Only to have messed it all up. It was heart breaking, knowing that the man who had lived through so much anguish was just outside love’s reach.

“Let’s go, we need to start for the village today.” I said.

A chuckle sounded from Geralt as he said, “Yeah, but first get dressed. You’ve given everyone enough of a show to last the rest of their lives.” He emphasized his point by tugging the hem of his shirt I had stolen. It barely covered my pelvis.

I, swaying my hips as I walked around him, replied, “Getting jealous that Eskel saw me naked?” Geralt blushed and grumbled as he followed me to his room.

~~

_Two Hours Later_

Washed, dressed, and packed. I was ready to set out to find Lily. Given that Vesemir’s curse was still going on, Lily was still hurting. What was keeping her from moving on? Was she stuck in the curse too? Or was she truly that taken by Vesemir and had been broken by his betrayal?

Nelly neighed at me as I started to buckle the saddle on her. She stamped her feet, realizing we were going on a journey again. She was always happier on the road than stuck in the stable.

“Do you really think you can break the curse?” Came Eskel’s voice.

Finishing setting the saddle in place, I nodded, “Yes, I do.”

Eskel came to stand next to me, his eyes squinted in disbelief, “What kind of a curse makes a man act like that?” He took my bag from me and began securing it to Nelly for me, “He’s all over the place. Thinks you’re Lily and attacks you. Cries himself to sleep when he thinks of what he did to you when he thought you were Lily. He flies into rages when he thinks of Lily possibly being with someone else.” He turned to me, heaved a sigh, and finished, “He’s even distrustful of me and Geralt; thinking we’ve slept with Lily.”

With my hands on my hips, being mindful of the sore bruise there, I answered, “A curse that was born of a broken heart. Lily fell for him and from her broken heart she cursed him. This type of curse comes only from the pain of the first heartbreak. Lily made a connection with Vesemir and thought it was returned. When she found out it wasn’t, she shattered.”

He shrugged his shoulders and replied, “I suppose so. But why would someone as young as her fall for some old Witcher?”

I blinked, completely caught off guard by the ignorance that had come from the man’s mouth. “You can’t be serious.” I stated, not sure if he was joking or not. The look he gave me told me he hadn’t been joking. My eyes widened at that realization. “Eskel, Witchers are dark and mysterious. They are strong, handsome, and quite honestly, everything that a woman wants but is afraid to go after.”

“Oh, really now?” Eskel asked as he cocked a brow at me.

“Yes,” I replied, “So, when Lily couldn’t find a man her own age that interested her, she turned to older men. Then in walked Vesemir, a Witcher.”

Eskel raised the other brow now too, “But, Vesemir?”

I shrugged my shoulders, “Hey, to each their own. And he isn’t a bad looking man. Far from it, in fact.”

He waved his hands for emphasis, “Okay, let’s say that’s true. I gotta know, you speaking from experience?” He wanted to know Geralt and I’s history. He wanted to know what had happened. I knew he would find a way to ask from his reaction when I had arrived.

“Leave it,” Came Geralt’s deep voice. He already had Roach saddled up and looked annoyed at Eskel. He walked towards us, putting himself between me and the other Witcher. “She doesn’t have to explain herself to you.”

I giggled at the protective side of Geralt, clearly wanting to keep me from Eskel. I wasn’t entirely sure why he was being this way. It wasn’t like we were exclusive, right? Why was he acting like I was anything more than a convenient fling? I _wanted_ to be more than a convenient fling but knew better than to get my hopes up. Geralt knelt so I could use him to climb upon my horse. So, with a foot on his thigh, I hiked my other leg, and up on the saddle I went.

Geralt took the reins, and walked Nelly out of the stable, “We’ll be back.”

Eskel, behind us, said, “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go break the curse and mend hearts.”

I could tell Eskel had gotten under Geralt’s skin. His shoulders were all I needed to see to tell that. He returned the reins to me and then mounted Roach. Soon we were trotting along towards the town that Lily lived in. It was a mere day’s ride from Kaer Morhen. The task was going to be hard seeing as we needed to get Lily to cooperate. What I hadn’t told anyone yet was that I was pretty sure Lily had to see Vesemir in order to lift the curse. She needed to be able to forgive him for him to be set free.

“So, how do we break the curse?” Geralt asked, breaking my internal train of thought. “Don’t tell me true love’s kiss.”

I giggled, “No, nothing so romantic. She needs to forgive him.” I left out that Lily would need to come to Kaer Morhen. If I had learned anything, Witchers were selective in who was allowed at their haven. I doubt having a woman with magical powers that she was unaware of would be a welcomed guest.

We enjoyed our typical silence as our horses slowly trotted along the road. I was mesmerized with the sight of the mountains around us. It was gorgeous and I couldn’t get enough of the sights. When I felt a hand on my knee, I turned and found Geralt looking at me with uncertainty. Instinctually I set a hand atop his and urged him to tell me what was wrong.

“Val, I’ve avoided this conversation for long enough.” He started, “And you were kind enough to allow me that time to figure out what I was going to say to you.” His hand turned to hold mine, pressing my fingers to his lips. His facial hair tickled as his lips pursed in a kiss.

“Geralt?” I questioned, know that I wanted him to tell me he loved me. I wanted him to tell me he wanted me to stay with him for more than just the winter. That he wanted me to stay with him forever. But, logically, I calmed my mind and waited for him to continue.

He let out a nervous breath and continue, “Val, I… fuck it.” He stopped Roach. I did the same with my own horse. Both his hands crossed to me and held my face gently, “I don’t want to be silent anymore. Yesterday I thought I lost you. I thought you were gone…” He blinked away tears that had threatened to form and continued, “I waited so long and had you actually died last night… I would have regretted that. Val, I love you.”

I was caught off guard. I had never heard him speak so many words in one go before. And never in my wildest dreams would I have thought he would speak so many words that proclaimed his love for me. Me, of all people!

Before I could reply, tell him that I felt the same, he added, “You don’t have to say it back. I just needed to let you know.” He seemed nervous, as if I would run far away from him.

“Geralt, I love you too.” I said simply with the biggest smile on my face possible. Geralt’s yellow eyes shoot to mine and I can see the pure joy in them as he lets out the breath he had been holding. “I’ve loved you for three years now.” It didn’t bother me to let him know that. I had loved him from the moment he hobbled to my home bleeding and injured. He seemed so happy, but unsure. Clearly he hadn’t been in this situation before. I continued to smile at him and offered, “Let’s find Lily and break the curse. Then we can figure out what to do with us.”

“Procrastinating again?” He teased as we both gently urged our horses forward again.

I giggled, shooting a mischievous smile his way, “I don’t hear you protesting.”

~~


End file.
